Star Wars story group member Matt Martin attempted to explain the inclusion of Force Healing in both Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and The Mandalorian.
Martin was questioned on Twitter, “The Rise of Skywalker introduces Force-Healing. You can heal anyone using the force. If this is part of canon then why didn’t Obi Wan heal Qui Gon. Why didn’t Anakin heal his mom? Why didn’t Luke heal Vader?”
@missingwords The Rise Of Skywalker introduces Force-Healing. You can heal anyone using the force. If this is part of canon then why didn’t Obi Wan heal Qui Gon. Why didn’t Anakin heal his mom? Why didn’t Luke heal Vader?
— Cant_make_thisup (@CThisup) January 6, 2020
Martin replied writing, “My read is that healing–bring someone back from the brink–was only possible due to their Dyad connection. I could see a Jedi being able to heal minor wounds like we see with Rey and the Vexus.”
My read is that that healing–bringing someone back from the brink–was only possible due to their Dyad connection. I could see a Jedi being able to heal minor wounds like we see with Rey and the Vexus.
— Matt Martin (@missingwords) January 6, 2020
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However, this answer would be unsatisfactory for another fan given the healing for both Greef Karga and The Mandalorian by Baby Yoda.
They asked, “So by this logic, Mando is secretly force sensitive and in a Force Dyad with BabyYoda, which is why BY was able to heal a lethal wound of GreefKarga in TheMandalorian?”
So by this logic, #Mando is secretly force sensitive and in a Force Dyad with #BabyYoda, which is why BY was able to heal a lethal wound of #GreefKarga in #TheMandalorian ?
— 🥐 + ☕ | 🍤 + 🥃 = 😇 (@Rey_isnt_Kenobi) January 6, 2020
Martin responded, “No, I just think there’s a lot more to that kid that we’re [not] privvy to at this point in time. Although I do assume many Jedi could have healed Mando in that scenario. Greef is different. But it’s also a different type of wound. Basically just saying, there are a lot of variables.”
No, I just think there’s a lot more to that kid that we’re privvy to at this point in time. Although I do assume many Jedi could have healed Mando in that scenario. Greef is different. But it’s also a different type of wound. Basically just saying, there are a lot of variables.
— Matt Martin (@missingwords) January 7, 2020
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My take on this, which is one of my biggest beefs with The Rise of Skywalker and The Mandalorian, is that Disney Star Wars has thrown out all of the rules that previously applied to the Force.
Those rules were thrown out with Rian Johnson and The Last Jedi. Probably the most egregious example is when he had Force Ghost Yoda calling down Force Lightning.
https://youtu.be/IZRCIjMWRLg
This broke the previous rule of Force Ghosts interacting with the physical world set in Empire Strikes Back.
When Luke learns of the danger Han and Leia are in, he abandons his training and sets off after them. Obi-Wan Kenobi tells him, “If you choose to face Vader, you will do it alone. I cannot interfere.”
https://youtu.be/NAA7RvhPvMg
Another example from The Last Jedi is Luke being able to cut himself off from the Force. In fact, if you watch the clip, Luke cutting himself off from the Force is in direct contrast to Luke’s own words about The Force. He says, “[The Force] is the energy between all things. A tension. A balance that binds the universe together.”
https://youtu.be/pmspEvBtbY4
In fact, being able to cut yourself off from the Force goes against how Obi-Wan Kenobi describes the Force as well in the original Star Wars film.
Kenobi explains, “It’s an energy field created by all living things, surrounds us, penetrates us, binds the galaxy together.”
Getting back to Martin, he can’t explain these questions because the rules for the Force no longer exist. And the many variables he refers to are probably whatever creative Lucasfilm decides to hire and their interpretation of the Force.
And we saw that in The Rise of Skywalker and The Mandalorian with Force healing being introduced by J.J. Abrams and Jon Favreau.
We also saw Rey instinctively use Force Lightning without any training or even knowledge of the ability in The Rise of Skywalker.
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This actually goes against George Lucas’ vision for The Force. At the Revenge of the Jedi Story Conference in 1981, Lawrence Kasdan asked if anyone could hook into the Force.
Lucas responded, “Yes, everybody can do it.” He would reiterate that the Force is not unique to the Jedi, “It’s just the Jedi who take the time to do it.”
Richard Marquand added, “They use it as a technique.”
Lucas then elaborated, “Like yoga. If you want to take the time to do it, you can do it; but the ones that really want to do it are the ones who are into that kind of thing. Also like karate.”
Force healing only makes sense when the previous rules of the Force have been thrown out the window.